The oil-state Democrat is nearly extinct. Could that change next week?

Next week’s midterm elections could bring a rare kind of Democrat back to the Senate: the oil-state Democrat. POLITICO’s Pavan Acharya explains why the oil-state Democrats have become less common, how James Talarico of Texas and Mary Peltola of Alaska fit the mold, and what their potential wins could mean for the party’s energy politics. Plus, the EPA proposed easing Biden-era limits on methane emissions from oil and gas operations, and the Trump administration finalized a $5.1 billion loan to strengthen grid reliability in Iowa and Wisconsin. Pavan Acharya is a congressional energy reporter at POLITICO. Nirmal Mulaikal is the co-host and executive producer of POLITICO Energy.  Tolu Oluwadiya is a video producer at POLITICO. Matt Daily is the energy editor for POLITICO. Debra Kahn is the editorial director for energy and environmental coverage at POLITICO. Veronica Tejera is the deputy head of Audio/Video at POLITICO. Our theme music is by Pran Bandi. Follow the show on Apple, Spotify, Youtube and Instagram. Follow POLITICO here:    ➤ X: https://x.com/politico/ ➤ Instagram:  / politico      ➤ Facebook:  / politico   For more reporting on energy and the environment, subscribe to Power Switch, our free evening newsletter: https://www.politico.com/power-switch And for even deeper coverage and analysis, read our Morning Energy newsletter by subscribing to POLITICO Pro: https://subscriber.politicopro.com/newsletter-archive/morning-energy